Fortunate Relapse
by stingrae90
Summary: Kenshin has never spoken much about his past. But events have conspired to force some hard revelations for the former hitokiri's comrades about his past, whether Kenshin likes it or not. Bakufu era.
1. A Call for Help

A/N: Murphy's Law is in full effect, ladies and gentlemen! I was all set to upload this new and revised version of Fortunate Relapse this morning...and then my Internet connection died. *headdesk* I'm taking the chance to upload it now, cause I'm not certain what went wrong this morning, or if it'll happen again today. So, for your reading pleasure, I present, Fortunate Relapse, Version 2.0!! *ducks rotten tomatoes* Yeah, yeah...that was cheesy...

Tell me what you guys think when you're done by way of that nifty review button at the bottom of the page!

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Chapter 1: A Call For Help

--

Kousei slumped against the tree trunk, exhausted from his trek to this meeting point. He had had to avoid Bakufu samurai the whole way. If they had found the message he carried…

His life would have been forfeit on the spot. No one would have even questioned why he carried the message. He would have been killed immediately.

Kousei's hand clenched on the small square of paper that contained all the information he had been able to put together on such short notice. It had to reach Katsura-san. It had to reach Kyoto. If it did not, then there was no telling the damage that oversight could cause.

"Kousei-san?"

The hissed voice brought Kousei up and around in a defensive posture before he had even quite realized the voice belonged to his contact.

"What was so urgent? Why are you risking another message so close to the last?"

The man who stepped up to Kousei was nondescript looking. Nothing about his bland features and dull eyes was remarkable enough to stick in anyone's memory. It was why he excelled at smuggling classified documents and messages past the Bakufu.

"Because Katsura-san needs to know of this as soon as possible, Toru. Please, get this to him as fast as possible." Kousei shoved the note at the messenger and spun him half-way around with the force of his motion. The man stumbled a bit before regaining his balance.

"Kousei-san…?"

"They're here in force!" Kousei hissed. "And I don't know why! More are coming in every day! We're about to lose this town as a way-point and Katsura-san needs to know, now!"

"The Bakufu are…" Toru's voice trailed off in horror. Kousei nodded grimly, pushing the man towards Kyoto once more.

"Get him the message."

"What about you? If this town is a lost cause, then you need to get out before they find you."

Kousei shook his head with a grim smile. "I can't leave. If I do, they'll know something is up. They'll know this was a point of interest for the Ishin Shishi. I have to stay."

The messenger regarded the spy seriously for a brief moment, then nodded slowly. "Be careful. If you're caught…"

"No help will reach me in time, if anyone can be spared to come. Not with how far this village is from the capital." Kousei nodded. He'd known that when he'd taken this assignment. "Just go."

Less than a minute later, the small area of forest was empty, only a few broken leaves evidencing the presence of two conspirators.

--

_Increased presence…can't explain…suspicious activity near village…potentially compromised…advise shifting supply route…no way to tell what the Bakufu knows…_

Katsura Kogoro, leader of the Ishin Shishi in Kyoto, sighed as he rubbed at the headache beginning to press against his temples, phrases from the hurried dispatch from one of his more distant agents jumping out at him from the crumpled piece of paper in front of him.

_Something must always go wrong, it seems…_

But that town Kousei was monitoring wasn't just the most convenient route for supplies to and from the hard-pressed Ishin Shishi both in and out of Kyoto. It was also a vital way-point for information filtered from larger, more important villages in the near area. Villages where it was too dangerous to insert a spy, not with the already active Bakufu presence in those towns.

_This needs to be confirmed._

Sitting up a little bit straighter, Katsura began to contemplate just who to send to sort out this latest in a round of problems. The village in question was very close to a certain area of Japan, an area one of his most talented swordsmen was very familiar with…

Well, now. Should he count that a blessing or a curse?

--

Himura Kenshin, formerly Hitokiri Battousai, kept his face carefully blank as he made his way up to the room Katsura-san was using for his brief stay with the main base of operations for the Kyoto Ishin Shishi. It wasn't unusual for Kenshin to be called to meetings with Katsura-san, what was unusual was that this was the second summons in as many days. Surely there could not be another assignment for him so soon?

Kenshin barely hid his wince at the thought. It was entirely too close to how he had viewed missions during his months as the hitokiri.

_Another bodyguard assignment, not an assassination. Katsura-san wouldn't do that to me, not after Tomoe…_

This time the wince wasn't hidden. But thankfully he had passed beyond the common rooms now and no one saw.

It had barely been two years since Tomoe's death. But the images were still as fresh in Kenshin's mind as they had been in the days following her death.

One hand clenched into a fist and Kenshin scowled at the steps beneath his feet. He forcefully banished the images of blood-stained snow and the faint remembered sent of white plum from his mind. There was no time for such memories right now.

The former hitokiri resumed his steady walk up the stairs and knocked softly but firmly on the door to Katsura's conference room.

"Enter."

Sliding the shoji open, Kenshin entered and bowed politely to his commander. Katsura looked up with a slight smile.

"Himura. I hope you are rested?"

Kenshin kept his reaction to a polite nod as he moved forward to sit seiza in front of him commander, daisho respectfully laid to one side. He respected Katsura-san, and knew he was the only man that could lead the Ishin Shishi to victory in the fight against the Bakufu, but the Ishin commander couldn't always put aside the political niceties he needed for dealing with their often prickly allies. Not even when he was among loyal soldiers for the Ishin cause.

Kenshin had only gotten back from his latest round of body-guarding duty – escorting a rather idiotic arms merchant out of the city into the capable hands of the men who would take him the rest of the way to Hokkaido – very early that morning. And given he never slept well at the best of times and was not often up after the sun…

Well, Kenshin had only gotten a few hours of fitful sleep before the summons had come.

"Good, Himura. I have another assignment for you." Just the barest flicker of worry flitted through Katsura's ki, though no reaction showed on his face. "There has been an increased Bakufu presence in one of the key towns along our supply line to Kyoto."

_Along our supply line? _Kenshin kept his face calm, but was inwardly confused. This was a matter for the logicians of the Ishin Shishi, not a former hitokiri.

"Our contact has managed to alert us to the increase, and since it is such a vital way-point, I am sending a small force to investigate further. And if necessary, to pull our contact out." Katsura's dark eyes seemed to increase in intensity as he shifted a map on his low desk so Kenshin could see it clearly. "I know you are familiar with the area in question."

Kenshin stared at the circled area on the map, face frozen into his polite mask, not quite able to believe what he was seeing.

_That…Shishou's mountain…is an Ishin Shishi waypoint. _

A discreet cough caught his attention again, and Kenshin realized some response was expected on his part.

"Yes. I am familiar with this area." He hoped his voice had held steady; with how he felt right now, it was very likely his voice was as shaky as he felt inside.

"I'd like you to accompany this mission, Himura. I've place Hamano Shiro in command, and he knows to be discreet in regards to your knowledge. But it is essential that someone who might know…shortcuts and byways in this area be a part of the mission."

Hamano. Hamano was a good man and a capable commander. He was also one of the only people who would still speak with Kenshin as a comrade and fellow Ishin. Kenshin had known Hamano since he had joined Katsura-san, and respected him nearly as much as he did Ishin leader.

And Hamano also knew Kenshin had been raised in the mountains west of Kyoto.

_This may not be such a disaster after all. And if the Bakufu have not made themselves bothersome enough to draw Shishou's attention, we will likely not even cross paths. I can do this._

"Of course, Katsura-san."

"Himura."

Kenshin raised his eyes to meet his commander's steady gaze. The Ishin commander simply regarded his sword for a few moments, and then sighed.

"There will not be any problems?"

"No, Katsura-san." _Shishou wouldn't even acknowledge me even if we do cross paths during this mission. At least, he will only do so enough to Ryu Tsui Sen me a few dozen feet closer to the center of the Earth._

"Very well. Hamano has the rest of the information you need. You will leave by noon."

Bowing, Kenshin stood, collected his daisho, and then just as quietly as he had entered, he left.

--

_Himura…I am sorry to drag up more unpleasant memories this close to Tomoe-san's death…_

Command had only tasted so bitter to Katsura Kogoro once. He shook his head, futilely trying to dispell the image of a gravely wounded and broken-hearted young man kneeling in a cabin that had once held two young people in love.

The winter had once held wonder for the Ishin leader. It had once symbolized for him the rest all living things needed before great change.

No longer.

It now symbolized the results of his greatest mistake; turning a sword of protection into an assassin's blade.

Sleep would be long in coming this night, with Himura's shocked and grieving face floating in his memory, taunting him with the knowledge of how thoroughly he had ruined the young man's life.

--

Several hours later, on the western side of Kyoto, Hamano Shiro tried to contain his impatience as he waited for his team to arrive at their meeting point. A large party of men leaving together from an inn was noticeable. Singly or in pairs, leaving from various restaurants and bars scattered throughout Kyoto, it was much easier to leave in force.

The fact it added nearly a half-hour onto his intended departure time was an unfortunate side affect.

"Hamano-san."

Hamano glanced to his right, and nodded a calm greeting to the slight figure that had appeared from the afternoon shadows lining the side of the road. The former hitokiri was wearing his ever present straw hat, hiding the majority of his flame-red hair from a casual observer's eye.

"I figured you would be the first to arrive, Himura."

There wasn't an answer from the figure that moved closer to Hamano. The older man grinned.

"Still as closed-mouthed as ever, Himura. When're you gonna loosen up some, huh?"

This time Hamano managed to get a slight twitch out of the young man. His grin widened.

"We're going to be running ourselves ragged for the next week or so, Himura. Have some fun while you can," he advised.

"Hamano-san."

The commanding officer just waved off the objection and turned to peruse the road again, trying to spot any more of his men arriving.

"I'm serious, Himura-kun," he said, the bantering tone dropping from his voice. Finding no one else approaching, he turned to regard the former hitokiri straight on. "I know why Katsura-san asked you to accompany us, and I think it's a good idea. If there really are as many Bakufu in the area as Kousei-san's report indicated – which I have no reason to doubt – then having you along to guide us along paths the Bakufu aren't going to know about is a huge asset."

"I gave my word to guide-"

"I'm not questioning your words or your loyalty, Himura-kun. Both are above question. But I also remember what you told me of where you grew up, Himura-kun. Or more specifically, of the man who raised you." Which hadn't been much more than a few sentences from a sad-eyed fourteen-year-old new recruit, but it was enough. Hamano's expression flickered between compassion and apprehension. "Is being so close to your shishou going to be a problem?"

"No, Hamano-san."

Flat, direct, and leaving no opportunity for elaboration. Hamano stifled a groan. Himura was more bothered by the idea of traveling so close to his shishou than he'd thought the young man would be.

"You're not being helpful, Himura-kun. Come on. I need to know about any potential problems we may run into before we encounter them, and your shishou's reaction to your presence is one." Seeing that Himura was still not open to expanding his answer, Hamano played his trump. "I would have thought you'd prefer to discuss this when there isn't any chance of the others overhearing."

The young man shot a glare at Hamano, who stared back at him calmly. Steel blue eyes narrowed and then glanced away, annoyed.

"The Bakufu are being careful not to aggravate the villagers. Shishou will have no reason to care who holds the town. We won't encounter him. It will not be an issue."

"That's good. The more important question is: are you comfortable being so close to him?" Hamano shrugged as a narrowed blue-eyed glare turned his way. "You know as well as I do, Himura-kun, your mind and emotions can be just as deadly opponents as any Bakufu soldier."

_And if you're going to be too distracted to focus, I'd rather you stayed in Kyoto,_ Hamano thought, but did not say aloud.

"There will not be any problems, Hamano-san. I will perform my duties."

From the flat and emotionless delivery of the statement, Hamano knew he'd get no other response out of the younger Ishin. He nodded once in acceptance of Himura's answer, and then resumed his watch for the rest of his men.

_No offense, Himura-kun, but I hope you being twitchy about being so close to your shishou is the only problem we have to deal with on this mission. I really hope it is._

Fifteen minutes later, one more of the many groups of travelers that left Kyoto every day started out along the path to the west and one specific village at the base of a particular mountain.


	2. On the Road

A/N: I'll update within a month! I said. It just needs a little editing! I said. *rolls eyes* So...yeah. This is what I get for trying to set a deadline. Professors who apparently think I have no life outside of their classes, and then the Olympics started up and _of course _I have to watch!!

...yeah. I'm not impressed with my reasoning either. But, I still got the chapter done, albeit a week or so after I had _planned_, but that's certainly better than a month or so, right? Encourage me to go faster with your reviews, please! Or just tell me what you thought of this chapter, that works too. ;)

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Chapter 2: On the Road

--

"Tadashi-sama, we've located the spy."

Cold black eyes snapped up from the report they were perusing, glittering with triumph. "And? Were our suspicions correct?"

"Hai, Tadashi-sama, they were. We have prepared an appropriate welcome for him when he returns from the fields."

"Good. Make sure he is taken alive." Tadashi – a samurai of high standing given the duty of subduing the more remote areas of Japan - smiled coldly "He can't answer the Shogunate's questions if he is dead, after all."

"Understood, Tadashi-sama." The messenger bowed out of the room, and set off at a steady trot to reach his post for the ambush. Behind him, he could hear his superior snap out some final orders to the other attendants assigned to him, before Tadashi-sama followed.

No one escaped the Shogunate's justice.

--

Kousei stretched his weary arms over his head as he plodded back to the village with the other farmers. He'd achieved a whole new appreciation for agricultural workers in the years he'd been posted in this village, but he still would never understand what made some of his fellow farmers so _happy_ to go out and break their backs growing food every day.

Thank the _kami _it wasn't his only job here or he'd go insane. Though none of the new gossip and chattering he'd filtered through today gave him any more promising reports to send to Kyoto than that emergency message he'd sent almost a week ago now. Toru ought to be well on his way back, he'd have to write up the next report tonight or he might forget the bits of intelligence he'd gathered…

"…Kousei-kun?"

Jerking a bit, Kousei blinked at the older man walking beside him. "Yes? I'm sorry, Kunio-san, I was not paying attention."

"I could tell, young man." The older farmer grinned at him. "I asked you if you'd care to join my wife and me for dinner, tonight." Kunio leaned closer and confided in a conspiratorial whisper. "I think Akemi is just looking for an excuse to try out new recipes on unsuspecting victims, since all our children have families and homes of their own now."

Kousei stifled a laugh behind his hand, and shook his head ruefully. "Convey my regrets to Akemi-san, Kunio-san, but I have been rather behind in informing my own mother of my welfare. I wish to send a letter to her tonight, and if I do not write it soon, I fear I will fall asleep at my desk."

_Well, it's half-true,_ Kousei thought ruefully. He hated lying to good people, but he didn't want any of the villagers to be implicated as fellow conspirators if he was caught by the Bakufu.

"You know she'll waylay you tomorrow morning with breakfast, ne?"

Kousei laughed. "If she brings around that excellent onigiri again, I won't object to anything else she forces me to try."

"I'll be sure to tell her you like her recipe, then." Kunio conceded before their paths diverged; Kunio straight through the village and Kousei along its outskirts, each heading home to a well deserved meal and rest.

Yawning, Kousei slid his shoji aside and kicked his shoes off almost as an afterthought before entering his small house.

_So. I write the report for Katsura-san, eat something hopefully more resembling of supper than my last attempt and go to bed. I hope Toru gets back here quickly. It always makes me nervous to have to hold a report for more than a day or so…_

"Do not move."

Kousei froze at the cold voice, eyes scanning the interior of his home with rising anxiety. He knew that voice, although he really wished he didn't. He tried to pinpoint where the speaker – the arrogant samurai Tadashi the Shogunate had charged with subduing this area of Japan - stood, but the deepening evening shadows defeated his every attempt.

"Good. If you continue to be so cooperative, we will not have to resort to more…crude means of persuasion."

"What are you talking about? Why are you in my home, Tadashi-sama?" _Maybe if I can convince him he has the wrong man…or maybe _I'm _wrong and this is a horrible practical joke gone wrong…_

"You know well what I'm talking about, Kousei. Spy for the Ishin Shishi. You report directly to Katsura, don't you?" The intruder finally stepped into the fading light streaming through the window, allowing Kousei to glimpse his features. Kousei felt his hopes sink.

Not a prank after all. It _was _Tadashi. The cold-eyed bastard of a Bakufu supporter that had reduced Akemi-san to tears his first day here, for his cross-examination of her husband as a suspected Ishin spy. Kunio-san still had the scars from some of those _cruder_ methods of persuasion.

_Guess I'm not going to get to try any more of your new recipes, Akemi-san, I'm sorry,_ was the only thought Kousei's mind could hold as his hands were roughly tied behind his back by the Bakufu soldiers who materialized out of the shadows around his house.

--

"I swear, I didn't mean to-"

"Shut up, Takagi."

"But-"

"Shut up."

"I was just asking-"

"I don't want to hear it."

"But, if you'd just let me-"

"I said, SHUT UP, Takagi!"

Hamano sighed and determinedly ignored the squabble behind him. Every one of the men with him had been hand-picked for this mission. Each one had some essential role to play.

He just hadn't been able to avoid personal idiosyncrasies when choosing his men: which meant he got excellent swordsmen with no sense of tact or self-preservation around their comrades, like Takagi Jiro.

"What happened this time?" he testily inquired of his second in command, Ketegai Ryota, who was doubling as an emergency healer for their small band. Ketegai shrugged, seeming more amused than annoyed.

"Takagi-kun was asking Minamoto-kun if his sister had always made such horrible tasting sweets, or if it was just because she couldn't improvise upon an existing recipe. Minamoto-kun took offense."

Hamano groaned aloud. It was widely acknowledged throughout the Kyoto Ishin Shishi that Takagi Jiro had to be beaten over the head with proper etiquette before he managed a half-way credible semblance at polite and proper behavior.

Hamano didn't think this was completely fair. After all, Takagi couldn't help the fact he'd been born entirely without tact. He'd been handicapped from the start.

"I'll bet you a week's patrol duty it'll take thirty minutes before Minamoto-kun's willing to talk to him again," Ketegai continued cheerfully. Hamano snorted.

"Not taking it, Ketegai." He turned a sardonic grin on the other man. "Besides, we've all had less than six hours sleep, eaten only what we can manage on the go – and that doesn't leave much – and we've been quick-marching while attempting to look like we're _not_ quick-marching since before the sun came up. Minamoto's gonna be giving Takagi the cold shoulder for at least an hour."

"No one should be up before the birds are," a slightly grumpy sounding voice floated back at the two senior members of the rescue party. Hamano and Ketegai glanced up the path, seeing Himura's back as he plodded steadily along with Sakamoto Hayato, their tactician, a few steps ahead of him. Hamano and Ketegai exchanged conspiratorial grins before Ketegai called up to their guide.

"But, Himura-kun! I thought you'd like early morning, since it so suits your personality! It's quiet in the mornings, you're quiet all the time…the fire of the sunrise matches your hair pretty well too, don't you think?"

The response that drifted back to them was too low to be deciphered, but Hamano was pretty sure it had been a threat involving insane, too cheerful healers and Saitou Hajime's Gatotsu. Sakamoto's startled glance towards the shorter Ishin only confirmed his suspicions. He stifled a snicker as Ketegai raised an eyebrow at the redhead who was pounding out his annoyance on the unsuspecting dirt road.

"Well, _he's_ not in a good mood if he's threatening to cause bodily harm with a Miburo's technique."

"I'd let up on the poetic comparisons of his hair to the sunrise, Ketegai," he advised, trying to keep a straight face. "I don't think he appreciated your artistic talent."

"Everyone's a critic…" Ketegai muttered. Hamano just grinned and observed the rest of his men, scattered at discreet distances along the Sea Road. They were traveling in a more or less compact group, but they had spaced themselves out into three roughly separate groups to try to avoid detection. Hayato and Himura had been holding the lead for the past hour or so, while Ketegai and the still squabbling Minamoto and Takagi had been trotting along more or less in Hamano's wake. The other three men had been trailing in everyone's wake, though the pace of the entire group was still far faster than a normal group of men would travel at along this road. Thankfully, as the day progressed, and as they got farther from Kyoto, there were fewer and fewer travelers on the road, until they had it completely to themselves.

"I didn't SAY that!! Come _on,_ Minamoto, let up!! I didn't say anything like-"

"Right now? I don't care."

"Oh, not _again…"_ Hamano groaned under his breath, resisting the urge to smack heads together only with the greatest difficulty. Raising his voice, he snarled back at his errant men. "Takagi, just shut up and let Minamoto forget you opened your big mouth. Minamoto, you ought to know Takagi doesn't have anything resembling tact, so get over it. And both of you, _shut up!!"_

"Hai, Hamano-san," came a slightly subdued chorus from the two men, followed by silence. Hamano rubbed at his temples, fighting the urge to turn around and smack both of the Ishin upside the head anyway.

Looking back to the path in front of him, Hamano had only enough time to register that both Hayato and Himura had paused, tense, before Himura blurred into the trees on the side of the road. Hayato signaled a hurried _'hide now, explain later'_ and disappeared into the trees on the opposite side of the road from Himura.

_The day was going so well, too, _Hamano lamented silently as he crouched in some concealing bushes off the side of the road, watching a sizable force of Bakufu samurai tramp past his hiding spot.

--

Crouched in the upper branches of an old maple tree, Kenshin eyed the samurai passing below him with some confusion. Samurai patrols were common within a day or two's walking distance of Kyoto. The Shogunate wanted to control as much of the country as it could, which included the countryside of necessity.

But such a large patrol as this one, easily fifty or sixty men, was out of the ordinary. What was going on? Unless the Shogunate was making a concerted effort to exert control over the farmers and peasants of the countryside – which they hadn't seemed to care about that much before, when it was so much more tactically sound to take the capital first – there shouldn't be such a large force of samurai _leaving_ Kyoto.

_Maybe Kousei-san stumbled onto something bigger than he knew, _Kenshin mused, alert for any sign the warriors below him had noticed they were being watched. _Maybe there is something the Bakufu wants in that town, besides the advantage of supply routes it gives whoever holds it. _

But aside from the gossip that constantly trailed through the town, courtesy of the same routes the Kyoto Ishin Shishi used to supply men in and out of the capital, there wasn't much to make the village valuable.

He remembered the town and the surrounding area well, despite his efforts to leave all of his past behind to become Katsura-san's sword. After all, Shishou had liked to blindfold him, drag him over half the mountain and dump him in some remote corner and make him find his way back on his own.

"_You can't be a swordsman if you don't know how to determine where you are and where you need to be at a moment's notice. The Hiten style depends on this reading of the swordsman's surroundings more than most. To dodge lethal blows by a hair's width requires a perfect understanding of _everything _around you. How large it is, how fast it moves, how fast _you _can move. What will give if you land on it and what will not. How much force is required for any blow you make. You won't ever master the Hiten if you never master this. _

"_But since you _are_ just a baka deshi, we'll start with finding your way back to the cabin. Don't be late. I won't save any dinner for you if you are."_

Kenshin's lips curved into a slightly bitter and mostly nostalgic smile. He could find his way back to Shishou's cabin even _with _that old blindfold even now. He had hated those exercises when he was still training with Hiko, but he had learned the value of them now that his life and the lives of his companions depended on his ability to do just what Shishou had described in his lecture.

The last of the samurai passed out of sight, and Kenshin waited a few minutes more before venturing down to the ground, though he still kept to the trees, another of his Shishou's many lectures ringing in his head.

"_Never assume, baka deshi! _Never!_ The moment you assume you know what your opponent is doing is the moment you _die!_ Assuming is almost as bad as losing your sword in the middle of a fight!"_

Questing outward with his ki, he pinpointed each of his fellow Ishin, and the retreating mass of ki that marked the Bakufu force. A patterned whistle sounded from his left.

_All clear?_ that whistle asked. Kenshin narrowed his focus to the immediately surrounding forest and found no unfamiliar ki signatures. He stepped out into clear view on the path, turning unerringly towards Hamano as the party commander stepped out of the bushes.

"What are they doing out here?!" Takagi sputtered as he kicked his way out of a clinging tangle of vines and fallen branches. "Since when has the Bakufu needed more than ten or so samurai to subdue the farmers out here?"

Hamano shook his head, troubled. "I don't know. Hayato? Any ideas?"

The Ishin tactician, smacking some stray leaves off of his gi, looked up with an expression just as troubled. "I can't make any statements for certain as to _that _particular group, Hamano-san. But…I imagine they were a part of what's gotten Kousei-san so worried. Patrols like that one aren't common even this close to Kyoto…if they're happening as far away as four day's journey…"

"Not good," Ketegai summed up, grave. The rest of the men gathered around in a loose circle, all just as troubled. Hamano frowned around the circle, and then down at the ground, thinking hard.

No one spoke.

Kenshin kept himself alert, knowing he had the best chance of sensing any more patrols approaching than any of his companions. While Hamano-san plotted their next move and the others worried and fidgeted, he kept still and alert.

"Himura." Kenshin nodded once to acknowledge that he was listening. "Get as close to that patrol as you can. See if you can find out what they're doing out here, if you can. Find out where they're going and by what route, and then return. We can't run the risk of running blindly into their rear guards."

"Hai, Hamano-san." With a brief bow, he took to the trees again. With luck, none of the samurai he was trailing would be country-bred – which would mean none of them would realize how easy it was for a skilled man to hide within the trees themselves. If not…well, that was what Shishou's training was for.

--

"Let's get moving," Tadashi said, sounding positively pleased. Kousei winced. It'd only been a day and already he knew to despise that tone of voice from this particular man. "We've just received our newest set of orders from the Shogunate." One hard hand grabbed Kousei by his hair, dragging his head up. "Traitors are all to be brought to Kyoto to be interrogated and executed." That disgustingly twisted grin, as Tadashi dropped Kousei's head and kicked him in the side. "You should be grateful. You'll have a few days more to live, since I can't kill you here for your traitorous actions."

Biting down on his lip, Kousei refused to rise to the bait. Bloody and beaten, he'd never be able to escape on the transport back to Kyoto, but he had one thing left in his control.

He could keep everything he knew about the Ishin Shishi and their plans to himself. He could refuse to divulge just why this village had been such an important point for the Ishin Shishi.

All he had to do was keep silent, or babble nonsense to make the Bakufu interrogators believe he'd gone insane from the pain.

_You're not getting anything from me, you bastard, _he snarled silently, glaring defiance at Tadashi's back as he turned away to give the last of the travel orders. _I'll hold you off. I will _not _allow the Ishin to be compromised because of my mistake in getting caught. _

He could only hope his determination would hold long enough for him to achieve the welcome oblivion death would bring from the pain.


	3. Converging Paths

A/N: *peeks out of reviewer-proof bunker* Umm...I blame the plot bunnies! They distracted me with character back stories! Take it out on them! *shoves bunnies in front of readers*

Oh, and if anyone knows why the site took out my scene breaks, I'd really like to know. It seems to be a wide-spread problem, but I'm still a little mad. I have to go back and put scene breaks back into all my stories now...but I figured an update would be preferrable for you guys at this moment. Don't forget to review, please! *ducks back into bunker*

* * *

Chapter 3: Converging Paths

* * *

"Why are we out here again?"

"You already know the answer to that, Hamasaki. Quit whining."

"Forty samurai to escort one traitor back to Kyoto? And we're probably going to meet Tadashi-sama on his way back anyway. We won't even get to the village. This is overkill, Ueda, and you know it."

Ueda Osamu sighed and rubbed at his temples to ward off a headache. Hamasaki Michi was a skilled tracker and a loyal Shogunate supporter, but he had a tendency to run his mouth off when he was irritated and that made him hard to deal with on long marches, where everyone ended up irritated in some form or fashion.

"Regardless, those are our orders. So it's no use to complain about them."

"But-"

"Hamasaki!"

Both men glared at each other for a moment, before Ueda sighed again and gave in. He really shouldn't be speaking of this, but….the other man could keep a secret and it would make him shut up.

"Hamasaki, we're not just out here to escort one traitor to his execution. That should be obvious." Michi's glare only intensified at that statement. Osamu found he didn't care very much. He was irritated too.

"Well, then why are forty of us out here besides escort duty?"

Osamu gestured for Michi to lower his voice and gestured him closer. "I reserve the right to shoot as many holes in your person as I can with my arrows if you breathe a word of this to anyone, understood?"

"Yeah…" Michi said, eyeing the bow slung over his companion's back a little nervously. Ueda's skill with the weapon was legendary.

"What do we know about Battousai?"

Michi blinked in confusion at the apparent abrupt change of topic, before anger clouded his face again. "What does that Ishin bastard have to do with any of this? Ueda-!"

"Answer me. What do we know about him?"

"He's a demon masquerading as a human, that's what," Michi muttered. Osamu glared and Michi hurriedly went on. "We know he has red hair. He's short, despite the rumors the Ishin have encouraged, and he's most likely from the area west of Kyoto. Other than that, we know nothing. He's apparently taken up bodyguard duties recently, but we haven't been able to confirm it."

"You missed one thing."

"What did I miss?" Michi sighed, deciding to tolerate his companion's odd line of questioning for the moment. It beat marching and complaining, no contest.

"Battousai was in Takasugi's army."

Michi blinked. "He was? I didn't know that."

Osamu snorted. "Because you never bother to put together the bits of information you do have to find out what you're not told. We know he's from west of Kyoto. His sword style is so rare almost no one's ever heard of it – which is another thing you missed, by the way – and the ones who have thought it was a myth. And we've never even heard a hint of another swordsman with Battousai's style fighting for either the Ishin or the Bakufu. Forty of us have been sent to escort a captured Ishin spy back to Kyoto. A _spy_ caught in a small village of no apparent importance_ west_ of Kyoto. Now," Osamu crossed his arms and eyes his companion pointedly. "I've given you the pieces. Can you put them together?"

Michi marched in silence for several moments, before his shoulders abruptly tensed and his head jerked up to stare at Osamu in disbelief. "We're looking for Battousai's master, too?"

* * *

Shadowing a large force of Bakufu samurai was both easier and harder than one would expect. On the one hand, there were already so many people that one more ki signature was not out of place unless someone was searching diligently for anything suspicious. However, it also meant just that many more people who could spot him with a stray glance while he was avoiding the scrutiny of their comrades.

He had been tailing the large Bakufu force for nearly an hour now, and several times he had been forced to freeze in place – locking down both physical movement and any flicker of ki – to avoid detection from a samurai examining his surroundings with a little too much expertise for Kenshin's comfort. It was looking more and more as if at least some of these samurai knew just how easily enemies could turn the countryside to their advantage.

Pausing in a large elm, Kenshin hardly dared to breathe as one of the rearmost samurai glanced around him in another seemingly random check of his surroundings. It was the fourth such check Kenshin had witnessed. This samurai was one of several archers in the band, but he seemed to be more alert than his comrades. His ki radiated tension and annoyance, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but there was also a restrained fear underlying the more obvious emotions in his ki that confused Kenshin.

_What does he have to be afraid of?_ _Does it have to do with why so many samurai have been ordered out here?_

He didn't have long to contemplate the oddity, as the group of samurai was getting too far ahead of him now. Sighing silently, Kenshin admitted he wasn't going to get close enough to overhear any conversations. That left only finding out where exactly this group was heading.

Though as the terrain around him became more and more familiar, he had the sinking feeling he knew exactly where this patrol was marching to.

* * *

"That's impossible! Kousei-kun is such a nice young man. He can't possibly be a spy!"

Kunio winced and surreptitiously rubbed at his suddenly aching ear, courtesy of his wife's shrill disbelief.

"Tadashi-sama must have been mistaken. Kousei-kun wouldn't do such a thing!"

"Akemi, please," Kunio hissed, glancing warily towards the door to their small home. "If one of Tadashi-sama's men hears you say that we'll both be in trouble for it. He might take us to be collaborators for the Ishin."

"Tadashi-sama and most of his men left yesterday, Kunio," Akemi returned hotly, but she had lowered her voice, a little fear entering her expression. Kunio felt badly for putting it there, but he did not want to be questioned again as a suspected Ishin Shishi sympathizer, and he certainly didn't want Akemi to be questioned like that either. The very thought sent chills down his spine.

"I know, Akemi, but…it's just…I don't know anymore," Kunio stuttered. "Everything that can go wrong _has_, it seems, in the last five or so years. Kousei-kun was my friend, Akemi, do you think I don't regret not being able to do anything to save him?"

Akemi's expression softened and she came to stand beside her husband, hugging him as tightly as she could. "Oh, Kunio…you can't save everyone, you know. People make their own choices; that's not your responsibility."

"No, but I just…and the last time…he – I didn't…"

"Shh," Akemi whispered, placing one finger on her husband's mouth, expression a mix between understanding and sternness. "You can't help it if idealistic young men go off to war thinking they can change the world, and you can't help it when idealistic _grown_ men choose to oppose a stronger force. That's just the way of the world."

Kunio sighed and shifted enough that he could put his arms around his wife, returning her embrace. "I know, Akemi. I know…but that doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt," he whispered, voice pained, as his memory took him back three years, to his failed attempt to get a young redheaded boy to see reason, even as he had provided the boy with the clothing he had requested in a trade for an older haori that was still in good shape.

"_Where will you go?"_

"_I'm going to find some way to help the people of Japan. I heard that Takasugi Shinsaku has a formed a group that lets anyone join, so long as they are willing. Maybe I'll go to him."_

"_You can't change the world on your own, you know." A small huff, as the boy blew red bangs out of his face._

"_Shishou seems to think I can't do any good, too. But I'm going to help change things. There are people being oppressed everywhere. I've seen it. You have too, right here, not two months ago." Sadness and old pain in those violet eyes. "I don't want to see any more people get hurt like that."_

"_So you'll join a group that will hurt others just as surely as the Bakufu does?" A sharp intake of outraged breath. Kunio went on before he could speak. "There is a war going on, you foolish boy. And no matter which side you lend your sword to, you will contribute to the sadness and hardship others go through. Your sword will take lives, and cause grief for those left behind."_

_Silence. Small hands picked up the gi, folded it, and placed it in his pack. Kunio watched worriedly as the youngster got ready to leave. Violet eyes raised to meet his, serious and grave._

"_I'll think about what you said, Kunio-san, but I can't sit by and do nothing."_

It hadn't been enough. Even if the boy had thought about what he had said, he hadn't heeded the advice. Kunio felt tears trail down his cheeks to drop onto his wife's shoulder.

* * *

"Um…Minamoto…you still mad at me?"

Minamoto Tomo glanced behind him, to see an apprehensive Takagi Jiro watching him. Tomo rolled his eyes and continued to make his way through the forest in Hamano-san's wake.

"Yes, Takagi, I'm still mad at you, but right now? I don't have the energy to keep it up. Just keep your mouth shut about my sister's cooking from now on."

"Yeah, sure, Minamoto. I can do that." Relief colored Takagi's tone.

_I doubt it,_ Minamoto groused silently, but he said nothing aloud in the interests of maintaining the peace. Things were tense enough right now without adding to their problems. Glancing upwards, Minamoto saw rain clouds massing overhead. More and more had been showing up all day. "Great, it looks like we're going to get rained on soon."

"Well, we can't really control the weather, so I guess we'll have to deal with it," Takagi remarked innocently, while Minamoto ground his teeth together in annoyance. The other man was his friend, but it was at times like these it was really hard to remember why.

"Takagi…"

"Shutting up."

"Thank you."

The walked in silence for several more minutes, before Hamano-san halted them with an upraised hand. Minamoto and Takagi both dropped hands to their weapons' hilts, tensed for action, while Takagi used his free hand to signal the same _stop_ to Sakamoto and the rest following them.

"Hamano-san," a soft voice floated back to them. The commanding Ishin relaxed and signaled the _all clear_ to Minamoto and Takagi, who once again passed the message back.

"What did you discover, Himura?"

"There are several skilled samurai within the group that passed us," the former hitokiri's quiet voice began, before his words were drowned out by the rustle of the other men coming forward. Minamoto frowned and worked his way closer to his commander. He wanted to hear Himura-san's report too. "…unclear, but it is certain they are heading in the direction of the village, Hamano-san."

"Hmm…is there another, less direct route to the village?"

"Hai. You have started upon it already."

"We have?" Surprise colored Hamano-san's voice and Minamoto glanced around in similar confusion at the surrounding forest as he came even with his commander and Himura. This didn't look like a path or road at all. It just looked like another stretch of the many forests that covered Japan.

"If we continue to the north for another half-day's march, we will cross a hunter's track that leads around the village. We can follow that until we are close enough to determine just where the patrol is heading."

Minamoto kept silent as Takagi came up on his left, whispering. "Himura knows a way around the main road? How?"

"Weren't you paying attention when Hamano-san briefed you for this mission?" Minamoto whipsered back. "Himura-san knows the area west of Kyoto. Part of his job on this job is guiding us around patrols like that."

"But how does he know this area so well?" Takagi persisted. Minamoto shrugged.

"I don't know. Hamano-san didn't tell me and I didn't ask." He shot a stern look at Takagi. "I don't suggest you ask Himura-san about it either."

"I wasn't going to!"

"Sure you weren't," Minamoto agreed, a faint grin hovering about his mouth. Takagi was about to protest again when Hamano called their attention back to the matter at hand.

"We're off the main roads, so we don't have to be so discreet about travelling together. Still, keep alert, and try not to leave too many obvious signs of our passage. Himura will lead us to this hunter's path and we'll take it from there." Serious dark eyes pinned each man. "I don't want anyone taking any unnecessary risks. If you _hear_ anythingout of place, if you _see _anything out of place, even if you think everyone else heard or saw it too, you signal the person nearest you, and you _freeze._ We cannot have mistakes now. Kousei-kun is counting on us. Understood?"

"Hai, Hamano-san!" The chorus rang back at the man.

And then they were moving, as the clouds finally let go the rain they had been threatening.


	4. Final Steps

**A/N1:** All I can say is that my RK muse died for a...period of time, so that even though all this story needs is some edits to existing chapters and such, it never got any attention. I'm not going to apologize for it, cause frankly, some of the events of RL would have prevented updates for a long time anyway, and also because there's really not a point after such a long time. Finishing the story is the best apology I can give, and that's my goal for this year. By the end of the year, FR should be finished. I've started another RK story, that will answer the question of what would have happened had Tomoe survived in a series of connected one-shot/drabble type chapters, and I figure pairing updates for these two stories ought to keep me on track nicely.

Do enjoy the chapter, however long it has been in coming.

* * *

The rain had been a constant companion over the past three days and it still hadn't let up by the time the tired group of men reached the outskirts of the village. The only way they had to keep track of the time was by how long they spent marching through the forest.

Hamano stumbled over a tree root semi-concealed by the loam on the forest floor and stifled a curse. He had had quite enough of the wilderness by now, and the feeling was shared by every man under his command, with the possible exception of Himura. Hamano could swear he had caught the younger man _snickering_ at his companions several times over the past few days.

His musings were halted, though, when the trailing tail of red hair he had been using as a marker to ensure he didn't get lost stopped moving suddenly. Hamano breathed a silent sigh of relief and signaled the stop for his men. Himura had led them along the winding hunter's path at a ground eating pace, occasionally striking off directly through the forested hills they were traversing, earning the former hitokiri many frustrated looks, and a few muttered curses from the city-bred Ishin following him. Hamano was sure the shortcuts had saved them time in the long run – time that might very well save Kousei-san's life – but it made no difference to the various scrapes and bruises the men had collected from the trek through the forest. The only person who didn't seem to be affected was Himura, who to all appearances hadn't received a single scratch or bruise during their trek. Even the rain the trees didn't block didn't seem to bother him.

The only sign the commander could find of Himura's own worry over their mission was the increasing amount of forays directly through the forest and the occasional deliberate, tense pause to let the others catch up. Hamano was fairly certain Himura's apparent desire to move faster stemmed not only from worry over Kousei-san, but from a desire to be done with this mission that was taking him so close to his master.

Or he could just be frustrated at the pace his fellow Ishin had to take. Himura was probably having to deliberately slow down so as not to lose any of the Ishin blundering along in his wake. Hamano _knew_ the boy could move much faster than the pace he had kept for the past few days.

_Well, it makes sense, doesn't it? He grew up out here. Obviously he knows this area even better than Katsura-san thinks he does._

Behind him, he heard various men sink to the ground or lean against tree trunks with quiet sighs of relief. Takagi was muttering to himself about poison ivy, if Hamano heard him clearly. A moment later, there was a quiet yelp and Ketegai hissed at the younger Ishin. "Keep that on it and it'll clear up by morning. We're _all_ bruised and scraped and you're not the only one with poison ivy, so _shut up._"

"Hai, Ketegai-san," Takagi muttered, sounding sullen. Hamano rolled his eyes and ignored the byplay.

"Himura," he called quietly. Calm blue eyes turned to him. "See if you can find Kousei-san. If you do, bring him back with you. I don't care what arguments he comes up with. That patrol was heading this way, and it can't mean anything good. This town is a lost cause and there's no use in his staying here."

"Hai, Hamano-san." Himura bowed and ghosted through the trees, blending seamlessly into the night. Hamano shook his head in amazement. Even with that beacon flag of red hair, the younger Ishin had no trouble going unseen when he felt the need.

Turning back to the rest of the men, he judged them with a critical eye, trying to determine who had enough energy left to do some hunting. They were going to have to supplement their supplies for the return journey to Kyoto. Speed had been more important than enough rations for a round trip. Minamoto Tomo looked up as he glanced to him and grinned a bit. "Should I get us some rabbit or something, Hamano-san?" he asked cheerfully. Apparently he was deriving amusement from Takagi's relentlessly itching ailment. He was also one of the only men who had come through their frantic march relatively unscathed. "I saw some rabbit runs while we were on the move. It shouldn't take me long."

"Alright," Hamano nodded and tried to figure out who he should send with his fellow Ishin. Minamoto saw his gaze go back to the other men and he chuckled.

"Don't bother, Hamano-san. None of them are going to come willingly, and if you send Takagi with me, he'll just grumble the whole time and scare the game away. I won't go far, and I'll make sure I'm not seen. I'll be fine."

The commander eyed Minamoto skeptically. The idea of sending one of his men out alone was not appealing, but…Takagi was really the only one Hamano could see who wouldn't have to be ordered to go, and the younger Ishin just couldn't do stealth. Minamoto, on the other hand, specialized in it. He wasn't as good as Himura, but then, Hamano was fairly certain only a handful of people could claim that distinction. He sighed in defeat.

"Go. Be careful. That patrol can't be that far behind us." Minamoto nodded and left in the direction they had just come from, still grinning. Hamano felt a small smile tug his mouth and snorted quietly as he turned back to the rest of his men. "Alright, set up camp, but keep it simple. We need to be ready to move on a moment's notice. I don't want to be caught with our guard down."

It had taken them three days to get here. They were tired.

But they had been chosen for this mission for a reason, and no one complained as they set up a meager camp with a tiny fire for warmth and doled out the night watch schedules.

All that was left to do was wait.

* * *

Kenshin paused at the edges of the forest, taking a moment to simply breathe and acknowledge his nerves. It had been nearly four years since he had last stepped foot in this village and even without the obvious Bakufu presence, there had been changes.

He could see a couple of new houses from his current position, and Kenshin was nearly positive they had been built to house the Bakufu forces that had descended on this peaceful village. At least, the higher ranking members. The more common soldiers were likely billeted with some of the villagers – whether they had the room or desire to house extra people or not.

Despite the late hour, there were still some villagers hurrying from house to house, avoiding eye contact with the soldiers they passed. Even through the deepening twilight, Kenshin could catch enough glimpses of their features to identify each villager he saw.

Had the past four years really been so hard on this little village, to result in the strain and increased age he saw in each familiar face? Surely Shin-san wasn't old enough to walk with such a stoop, despite working in the fields all day.

A brief scuffle in the village drew his attention back to the moment. Using the distraction that had been unwittingly provided for him, Kenshin ghosted into the town, and though he kept to the shadows, he made sure his reed hat covered his hair.

While in Kyoto, his red hair had led many to call him a demon, the people in this village knew better. They had seen him grow up, and a few of them - Kunio-san and Shin-san especially – might be able to spot him if they thought he was here.

He _could not_ be seen, but he had to enter the village to find Kousei-san.

Somehow, he just knew this wouldn't end well.

* * *

Helping her brother limp towards their home, Ayako tried not to sound like she was nagging, or lecturing. It wouldn't go over well with Naoko at all.

But sometimes he just made her so mad!

"Why did you do that? It was so stupid!"

Naoko gritted his teeth and tried to take more of his own weight again. Ayako let him try to stand on his sprained knee and smirked when he stumbled and had to grab hold of her shoulder again. "Shut up, Ayako. You don't understand what it's like-"

Didn't understand? Didn't under – oh, that was it. Ayako shoved her brother off of her and a surprised Naoko stumbled into the wall of one of their neighbor's homes, unable to balance with so little warning. "Don't understand?" she hissed at him, refraining from yelling only because she didn't want those soldiers to come after _her_ this time for a loose tongue. "What do you think I don't understand?" She flung one hand back in the direction they had come from. "That we can't even say we're sorry a man who was always kind to us turned out to be an Ishin Shishi sympathizer?" She flung a hand in the other direction, feeling tears start to build behind her eyes. But she _wasn't_ going to cry. It didn't solve anything. She couldn't expect someone to come scare away the bullies for her, not like…well, she just couldn't anymore. "Or maybe I don't understand what made Kunio-san too frightened to even say he's sorry he didn't see what Kousei-san was up to so he could talk him out of it and _save his life?_ Tadashi-sama _took_ him and you _saw_ what they did to him before they left! We couldn't do anything and…and when they get to Kyoto, they'll…and…" Her voice choked off and Ayako spun on the spot, sniffling.

Kousei-san had been a little odd, really, but it had been a friendly sort of odd. He'd never minded being a tester for Akemi-san's odd cooking experiments, and he'd never brushed her questions about the rest of Japan off as not important for a farmer's daughter to know. He'd even answered – very cautiously, yes, but he'd answered – some of her questions about why the Ishin Shishi and the Bakufu couldn't seem to get along.

He had been like a strange sort of uncle to her, and she had gone running to him as she used to go to Ken-ni. But Ken-ni had left, and no one wanted to tell her where he'd gone, but Kousei-san had been willing to listen to her talk about him, and maybe he'd acted a little weird the first time she'd mentioned Ken-ni's red hair, but really, that was only normal for most people. Red hair wasn't common. She'd made a point of making sure Kousei-san knew Ken-ni had never been evil or scary. That he'd been her protector, even more than her _actual_ brother had been, even though Ken-ni had lived up on the mountain with his shishou. Kousei-san had been really good at listening and he agreed with her – red hair didn't make someone a demon…

"Ayako…"

The ten-year-old stiffened. "Don't, Naoko. Just don't. I don't want to hear about how I'm just a girl, or I'm too little to understand or…or that I shouldn't _worry_!"

Her brother's hand landed on her shoulder and tugged her around. His arms were held open in a silent invitation as he balanced most of his weight on his left leg. Ayako hesitated, but her brother's expression was kind and understanding, so she buried her face in his shirt and cried. Naoko held her silently, soothingly stroking her hair, not even complaining once about how she was getting his shirt wet.

"I miss him, Naoko. I miss him and Ken-ni and I…I want things to be _normal_ again…"

Naoko's mouth tightened, but he didn't stop his soothing motions. "I know, Ayako. I know. I wish things would go back to normal too."

Ayako cried for several long moments, and didn't take notice of anything but her brother's arms around her. Naoko, for those moments, was solely focused on his sister and making sure he got them both home before that samurai who had knocked him down came back this way.

If either had paid more attention to their surroundings, they might have seen an odd shadow move away from the house on their left.

* * *

Minamoto Tomo regarded his catch with a satisfied expression on his face. He might not be very familiar with the country – he certainly couldn't practically run through a forest without stumbling the way Himura-san did! – but he did know how to set traps and hunt. It really hadn't taken as long as he'd thought to fulfill his "mission".

"So, let's think," he mused to himself, regarding the forest around him with a critical eye. "I came from the…east, to get here, and I'd taken off south of our camp…" After a few minutes thought, he grinned and pointed off to the northeast. "So that way should be the quickest route back!"

Feeling rather proud of himself, Tomo bent to gather his supplies and inadvertently saved his own life. An arrow whizzed over his head and _thunk_-ed into the tree in front of him. Startled, the Ishin whirled around, fumbling around the rabbits he had captured to draw his sword.

"Who's there?" he demanded, heart pounding in his throat. Another arrow whizzed by, and Tomo wasn't so lucky this time around. The arrow managed to find it's mark in his right shoulder and Tomo shouted with pain and surprise, dropping the rabbits and momentarily forgoing his sword in favor of clutching at the sudden sharp pain.

The bushes to his left rustled and a samurai with cold black eyes stepped into view. He was smirking and Tomo felt his heart freeze. How long had he been there? Was he part of that force that Himura had warned them about on their first day out of Kyoto? Had…had he heard…?

"Well, well. It seems our intelligence was right. There _are_ more Ishin Shishi scum in this area. If you surrender now, I'm willing to have a healer take a look at your arm," the samurai offered, smirking.

Tomo gritted his teeth and slowly turned his hand so he gripped the shaft in his fist. "And why would you let a healer treat me when you just intend to kill me anyway?" The arrow hadn't gone very deep, from the feel of it. It must have struck one of the rabbits as well and lost momentum or been shoved off course. If he could buy himself enough time, he could probably just rip it out and run, though if he got out of this alive, Ketegai-san was going to have all sorts of nasty words for him.

"You don't need to know. I'll give you five seconds to consider it. Starting now."

Tomo didn't have to think. He yanked on the arrow, not bothering to stifle his yelp as it ripped out of his shoulder, threw it at the samurai with all the force he could muster and took off running, weaving through the trees and not sparing a second thought for the abandoned fruits of his hunt. His mind had room enough for only two thoughts.

The first was that he really hoped he hadn't been surrounded or the stunt he had just pulled would turn out to be useless.

The second was that he had to warn Hamano-san that they had not only been expected, but that they were in immediate danger of capture.

He had to evade the soldiers long enough to reach camp and pass the warning along. He'd been the one stupid enough to let his guard lapse enough to _point out_ where the others were. He had to fix it.

* * *

**A/N2: **If you remember, I've taken four chapters to get back to the action I started the original version of this story with: Tomo's unfortunate scramble to get back to camp, chased by the Bakufu soldiers. And I've also introduced some characters from my one shot collection: Ayako and her brother Naoko. Ayako was five in the one shot, and "Ken-ni" (I'm sure you all know who that is!) chased off the bullies bothering her in his first "solo," so to speak. (If you want the full story, it's the second chapter of my One Shot Collection, titled "The First Defense".)


End file.
